漫步樂高積木專賣店 / Strolling through a LEGO store

我與樂高積木第一次親密接觸，是我去親戚家時，我們一群小孩所所玩的樂高積木組，是親戚從歐美國家帶回來的，聽說，國外才可以買到限定套裝，這類商品在設計上非常特別，特別針對某些主題或影片授權打造，如星際大戰系列，然而，對於我們而言，就是一堆五彩繽紛的積木玩具罷了，至於，樂高積木成為幼童啟發的教具，則是另一個故事了。

也是在商場躲避暑氣時，逛到一家樂高積木專賣店，這家店可比我之前看到的樂高積木快閃店寬敞多了，從外頭就能感受到樂高特有的魅力，巨大的積木模型或角色展示，往往吸引不少路人駐足拍照，在店內，孩童們拉著父母的手，眼睛閃閃發亮地指著喜歡的系列，我真是不忍目睹，看來父母們難逃大失血的命運了。

除了販售商品之外，樂高專賣店往往還會設置互動區。小朋友可以在這裡隨意拼砌，當看到一群孩子聚在一起，討論如何拼出自己想像中的房子或車子時，有一瞬間，我回想起我小時候在親戚家，和表兄弟們玩樂的情形，真是令人懷念啊。

我注意到這家店在主打《航海王》（ONE PIECE）系列套裝，因為店內外充斥著滿滿的《航海王》元素，有魯夫的懸賞海報打卡點、《航海王》角色的人形立牌及《航海王》系列套裝，可惜我不是《航海王》的粉絲，要不然我就要大失血了。

其實，光是靜靜地在店內欣賞不同系列的陳列，也是一種樂趣，城市系列充滿了日常生活的縮影，有公車站、消防局、咖啡館等，科技系列則強調機械結構，齒輪與馬達的設計，讓人感受到工程的美學，難怪樂高積木會成為不同年齡層都喜愛的一種玩具，也是收藏品。

My first real encounter with LEGO was at a relative’s house. A bunch of us kids were playing with a LEGO set that my relative had brought back from Europe. I heard that some sets were exclusives only sold overseas, designed around special themes or licensed movies, like the Star Wars series. But for us back then, it was just a pile of colorful plastic bricks. As for LEGO being an educational tool to spark creativity in children—that was another story entirely.

Later on, while trying to escape the summer heat at a shopping mall, I stumbled into a LEGO flagship store. Compared to the pop-up shops I had seen before, this one was much bigger. Even from the outside, you could feel LEGO’s unique charm. Giant brick-built models and life-sized characters stood at the entrance, attracting people to stop and take photos. Inside, kids were tugging at their parents’ hands, eyes sparkling as they pointed at the sets they wanted. Honestly, it was a little heartbreaking to watch. I could already imagine how much those parents were about to spend.

One of the coolest parts of LEGO stores is the interactive play area. Kids can sit down and build whatever they like. Watching groups of children huddled together, discussing how to create their own houses or vehicles, suddenly brought me back to my own childhood memories of playing with LEGO alongside my cousins. It was surprisingly nostalgic.

This particular store was heavily promoting the One Piece LEGO series. The place was filled with One Piece elements, like Luffy’s wanted poster as a photo spot, cardboard standees of the characters, and shelves stacked with themed sets. Too bad I’m not really a One Piece fan, otherwise my wallet would’ve taken a serious hit.

Honestly, just quietly walking around the store and admiring the different displays was already enjoyable for me. The City series felt like a miniature version of real life, with bus stops, fire stations, and cafés. The Technic series focused more on mechanical design, full of gears and motors that showed off the beauty of engineering. No wonder LEGO has become not just a toy for all ages, but also a collectible for many fans.

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